


Panthera Canis Vulpes

by OreozFox



Category: Bambi (1942), The Fox and the Hound (1981), The Last Unicorn (1982), The Lion King (1994)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Family, Hunters & Hunting, I Can't Believe I Wrote This, Nostalgia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-27
Updated: 2020-09-26
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:29:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26672938
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OreozFox/pseuds/OreozFox
Summary: Okay. Weird, right? This is a rewrite of a story I made when I was very young with movies from my childhood. Other nostalgic movies will be referenced, but I was a child bordering on being a furry, so the main focus will be on these animal movies.Anyway, in this story, Mufasa's pride was captured to be part of a circus. In America, the circus train crashed, and all of the animals escaped. Now they're in constant danger of being hunted or recaptured, all while raising their own cubs, and the puppy and fox kit they adopted. Meanwhile, Amalthea has also escaped the circus and is trying to find her home again, until she runs into a stag who changes her perspective.
Relationships: Copper & Tod (Disney), Mufasa/Sarabi (The Lion King), Nala/Simba (The Lion King), The Great Prince (Bambi)/ Unicorn | Lady Amalthea
Kudos: 2





	1. The Hunters

The wind rustled through the grass, carrying with it the cry of a fox kit. 

“Help!” the kit shrieked, tears spilling from his fearful eyes. He tried desperately to tug his leg free of the snare that gripped it. But with every tug, the snare rang a bell that would alert the approaching hunting dogs. “Guys, I’m stuck!”

“Tod!” a golden lion cub shouted, his eyes wide.

“Oh, no! He’s stuck in a trap!” a bloodhound puppy yelped. “We’ve got to help!” The two youngsters ran to Tod’s side. 

The cub crouched down and managed to snap the snare with his sharp teeth. Then, he nudged Tod ahead as the puppy barked for them to run. 

Tod limped as he ran, whimpering. “Hurry, Simba!” 

“I’m trying!” the lion cub cried as he scrambled to keep up. The three ducked into the bushes just as a dart whizzed through the air and lodged itself in a nearby tree.

“Are you guys okay? I thought they were going to get you for sure!” a paler lioness cub whispered, nudging Simba’s soft fur with her nose.

“Me, too! Those pesky hunters!” Simba huffed, settling down onto the cool dirt.

“Tod…?” the puppy said softly, looking at his shivering friend as the kit curled up in a ball. Little did any of them know that the snare still trailing from Tod’s hind leg was sticking out from the bush. A dark hound spotted it and seized the wire in his teeth, trying to pull Tod from his hiding place.

Tod yelped shrilly, digging his claws into the earth in a desperate attempt to stay put.

“Tod!” the puppy shouted, standing up.

“I’ll save you!” Simba snarled, rushing forward alongside the puppy.

“Wait! Don’t go out there!” the lioness cub yelled.

Paying her no mind, the puppy leapt from the leaves and barreled into the hound, knocking the older dog onto his back. The movement accidentally slung Tod through the air, sending him hurtling off the cliff face. Tod screamed as he fell.

But Simba acted quickly. He rushed forward, chomping down on the long wire and keeping Tod from plummeting to his death. Growling with the effort, he tried to pull Tod back up. However, without its pole, the snare could no longer effectively tighten, and it slipped right off of Tod’s leg, making Simba tumble backwards. He ran to the edge of the cliff, looking around wildly. 

Grunting, Tod clung to the steep cliff with his claws. “Help me, Simba!”

But it wasn’t Simba who would save him this time. The lioness cub’s aqua-colored eyes flashed as she leapt from the safety of the brush to skid down the slope. However, it was more slippery than she’d intended, and she ended up knocking them both down into the wide stream below.

“Tod! Nala!” Tod cried, jumping down after them without regard for his own safety.

“Wait! I’m coming!” the puppy yelled, wriggling free from the older hound and doing the same.

The surface barely had time to settle again before all four youngsters burst out from it, coughing and sputtering.

“Wow, we survived!” Tod said, now cheerful as he shook the water from his coat.

“Tod! Are you okay?” the exhausted and soaked puppy asked, plodding over to lick the top of Tod’s head.

“Yeah, I’m fine! My leg just hurts a bit.” Tod replied.

“Simba!” Nala cried in delight, pouncing on Simba and nuzzling him.

“Hi, Nala!” Simba laughed, a bit bashful.

All of a sudden, a loud roar split the air. The rest of the pride had arrived!

“There they are!” one lioness said.

“Oh, children!” another lioness gasped, rushing forward to rub her head along Simba’s back, making the cub laugh. “Simba, you were so brave! You, too, Tod!” She bowed her head to lick Tod’s face.

“Hi, Mommy!” Tod yipped.

Tod and Simba’s mother picked up her children and placed them on her mate’s back.

“Let’s go home.” the lion said in a low voice, beckoning with his tail.

The puppy climbed onto the skinnier lioness’s back as the lioness picked up Nala by the scruff. The two lionesses followed their leader to their home, a deep, well-hidden cave. 

Night fell over the wilderness, and a pale crescent moon hung in the sky, surrounded by millions of stars.

Simba yawned as he settled down next to Tod, who was already fast asleep. Nala was also asleep, but the puppy was not sleeping nearly as peacefully. He whimpered and shivered in his slumber.

……..

_“Copper! Copper, help!” Tod cried, clinging desperately to the rock to keep from falling in the ravine._

_“Tod!” Copper reached as far as he could off the edge. “Grab my paw!” In the corner of his eye, he saw the glint of a metallic gun._

_Tod grabbed Copper’s paw in his teeth, and Copper began trying to pull him up._

_Copper growled, trembling with the effort. “Tod! Just hold on tight!” He craned his neck, trying to get a hold of Tod’s scruff. “Almost there…!” All at once, Copper yelped at a sharp sting in his leg. A dart had pierced him! As his leg began to go numb, Copper realized with horror that he’d let go of Tod._

_“Copper!!” Tod screamed, slipping down further and further until he lost his grip, plummeting into the darkness below._

_“No! No, no, no!” Copper cried, trying to stand, despite his whole body feeling like lead. He was losing consciousness. All of a sudden, he felt claws poking his back. He looked up to see a dark, skinny lion with a scar on his left eye. “Scar…? What are you doing?”_

_Without answering, Scar thrust Copper over the edge, sending him hurtling down into blackness. Copper wailed the whole way down, and then-_

………

Copper yelped as his head shot up. His eyes were wide.

“Copper? Are you alright, honey?” his mother asked, but Copper didn’t respond. He jumped to his paws and dashed out of the den, flopping down on the smooth rock that jutted out from the cave entrance. 

He sniffled as tears welled in his eyes. He put a paw over his nose and wept.

“Copper…?” a new voice startled him. “Why are you crying?”

Copper looked over his shoulder to see Tod padding out of the den with a concerned look. He wiped his eyes. “It’s nothing, Tod. I just dreamt about the night Scar betrayed us, that’s all.” He padded over to his friend and playfully licked Tod’s nose, making Tod laugh.

“C’mon, let’s go play!” Tod said, jumping down onto the grass.

“Okay!”

The two ran off into the forest, not considering that the hunters may have still been on the prowl.


	2. Speechless

“Cubs! It’s time for lunch!” a roar echoed through the trees.

“Time to go.” Tod said to his friends.

“Coming, Mommy!” Copper howled, racing ahead of Tod. “Race you guys home!”

“No fair!” Tod protested. “You got a head start!”

“Well hurry up, ‘cause I’m in the lead!” Copper barked triumphantly.

“Not yet!” Nala raced forward, biting Copper’s tail.

“Ouch!” Copper stumbled as Nala ran past him. “Cheater!”

“Guys! Wait!” Tod whimpered, beginning to lag behind. Given his still-sore hind leg, he couldn’t move as fast as usual. Suddenly, his front paw caught of a stone and he tripped, falling forward. He grunted as he hit the ground. Slowly, he got up, still a bit dizzy from striking his head on the ground. “Guys…?”

All of a sudden, his ears pricked at the sound of a roar of distress.

* * *

“That didn’t count, Nala!” Copper barked as they ran into the cave. 

Nala simply laughed. “I won, Mom- hey!” she protested as Copper shoved her, pinning her on her stomach.

“That’s not true, Mommy!” Copper said. “Nala cheated!” 

Their mother, Sarafina, grinned in amusement. “Well, in any case, come on before the food is all gone!”

Disappointed that he wasn’t backed up by his mother, Copper glared at Nala. “You cheated.”

“Did not!”

“Hey, guys?” Simba’s worried voice interrupted their argument. “Where’s Tod?”

* * *

Tod padded slowly and cautiously. The distress call continued.

“Mom? Dad? Sarafina? Is that you…?” he called into the forest. 

All at once, startled birds came flapping out of the bushes. Tod whirled around to see hunting hounds rushing towards him, barking loudly. 

Tod bolted, running until his muscles burned. Tears stung in his eyes as a dart whizzed past him, just missing him. Startled, Tod failed to notice the hidden trap he was treading on until he was swooped up in a net. A bell rang, alerting the hunters.

Tod had been captured.

* * *

“Help me!!” Tod’s terrified howl reached the cave.

“Tod?!” Copper yelped as he heard the noise.

“Hunters! Everyone hide!” Simba and Tod’s mother said briskly, ushering the cubs to the back of the cave.

“But Dad and Tod are out there all alone!” Simba cried, tears welling in his eyes.

* * *

Tod heard the clicking of the gun, and saw its glint through the trees.

“No…!” he sobbed.

Suddenly, an old stag charged into the scene, tearing through the net with his antlers. As Tod fell to the ground, he bellowed, “Get up, fox kit! Run!”

The two ran, but the stag didn’t get very far before he was shot in the shoulder. He grunted in pain and fell to the ground. The hunter was about to shoot him again when the ground began vibrating from the dozens of hoofbeats of a panicked herd.

“Sir, are you okay?” Tod asked, rushing to the stag’s side. “You’re hurt! Let me see…” He began licking the bullet wound comfortingly.

“Dad!” a young buck with only nubs of antlers called. When he saw his father lying injured and a fox with his mouth stained with blood, he jumped to immediate conclusion that the fox was a threat. “Get away from him!” he yelled, charging.

“Wha…?” the stag looked up. “Bambi, stop!”

Instead of obeying, the young buck rammed Tod with his small antlers and knocked him to the ground. Tod squealed in pain as he tumbled, before slowly staggering to his paws and looking up at the deer in terror.

“You are out of order, Bambi!” the stag scolded.

Bambi looked at him in shock before seeing Tod starting to run away. “Fox, wait! I didn’t mean…” He trailed off, then turned his attention to his father, who was trying to get up. “Dad! Let me help.”

“Leave me!” the stag snapped. Suddenly, he gasped in shock.

“Dad…?” Bambi asked, not knowing what his father was looking at until a tall figure brushed past him. 

“Pardon me, young one.” a soft, feathery voice murmured. It was a creature Bambi had never seen before; it resembled a white horse with a flowing blue main, a long, tufted tail, deep blue eyes, and a long horn on her forehead. “Hold still.” she said to the stag, bowing her head and touching her horn to his shoulder. Her horn glowed with an almost whistling sound, and the wound disappeared. “There. You should be able to walk again. Excuse me.”

The stag watched her go with wide eyes,  _ I was… speechless just then,  _ the stag thought.

_ I haven’t been speechless since I met Bambi’s mother. _

  
  
  



End file.
